The Katsina State Government has withdrawn a misappropriation of N11 billion case against ex-governor Ibrahim Shehu Shema.
The EFCC and the state government had instituted the suit against the ex-governor over the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON) fund, which he allegedly misappropriated.
In a statement on Monday by Abdulrahman Umar, the Director of public prosecution of Katsina State Ministry of Justice, noted that the state attorney general sought to discontinue the case.
He said, “The state government filed a nolle prosecute. This is the power of a state attorney-general under Section 211 of the 1999 constitution as (amended) to either institute an action on a criminal case against any person before any court of law.
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“The attorney-general can take over any criminal proceedings against any person, as well as the power to discontinue any case at any stage of the proceeding before judgement is entered.
“The attorney-general exercised that power, and we went with it, and the court gladly accepted that position of the attorney-general to discontinue the case.
“To that effect, the former governor and Lawal Dankaba were discharged from all charges against them.
“That is the position of the state government at the moment. But the EFCC’s case is still ongoing,” Umar said.
The EFCC had arraigned Shema on a 24-count charge bordering on the criminal breach of trust, fraud, conspiracy and forgery, among others.
Upon arraignment, he pleaded not guilty to the charges proffered against him.
He was charged alongside three others who were members of his administration while he was governor.
The others are Lawal Safana, Ibrahim Dankaba and Sani Makana, alleged to have diverted local government funds amounting to over N11 billion.
